First Test: 2011 Dodge Challenger R/T

November Surprise: R/T Drops in our Lap, We Lap it Around our Test Track

"This thing is just righteous!" Those were the first words that popped out of my head to executive editor Ed Loh after I got done figure eight-ing the big red Challenger R/T. Talk about old school done right. Of course Mr. Loh's first words to me when we saw the unexpected Challenger being unloaded from the hauler were, "Looks like Christmas came early -- even for you Jewish types." Good point.

Why Christmas in mid-November? We weren't supposed to get our hands on the R/T. It just sorta showed up. But hey, when life gives you a snarling 372 horsepower, 400 pound-feet of torque six-speed manual muscle car with a fully defeatable traction control system, you gotta make the most of it. That, and lots of black tire marks. Three cheers then for happy accidents.

Meet the middle child, the third and final (for now) 2011 Challenger. Like the previous generation of Dodge two-door throwbacks, the R/T splits the difference between the V-6 engined SE and the top line, big dog SRT8. Just like before, the R/T hits the sweet spot in the line up, with much more grin inducing power than the 305 horsepower SE, but with a much lower entry price compared to the SRT8 392 -- about $34,000 vs. $46,000.

It's just so much fun. Countless gallons of ink have been spilled over the decades by hacks like me pontificating on the joys of steering with one's right foot. That tradition does not end today. The R/T has a large, usable reservoir of torque and when you're midway through a turn all you have to do is goose the throttle to straighten the bad boy out. It's addictive, especially when the ESC is switched off. But even if left on, and unlike the SE model we also just tested, the electronic aids refuse to cut in early and spoil the fun. And really, what's a car like the R/T about if not fun?

Like the long term 2009 Challenger R/T that we sadly just had to hand back to Dodge, the 2011 model is seductive. In a world where the electrified Chevy Volt just won our Car of the Year accolades, half of the Challenger's appeal is that it's so politically incorrect. The thing's almost subversive. Big, unapologetic, brash, yet so fundamentally appealing that I had trouble staying out of the driver's seat. An animalist force compelled me to keep hopping in, nannying off and just gunning it. Even more than our dear departed longer termer.

Here's why: The suspension has been thoroughly reworked. New Bilstein monotube shocks make it float less, new bushings better isolate the suspension cradle, thick anti-sway bars and stiffer springs make turn in crisper and holding a line less herky-jerky. Then there's the improved multi-link rear end with revised roll-geometry that allows the back of the car to rotate with more confidence. One gripe is that our tester shared the same 245/45R20 summer tires as the SE model. Some fatter meat would be appreciated, especially when trying to rapidly accelerate.

When we first tested the Challenger R/T, we recorded a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds. For 2011 that number drops to 5 seconds flat. In the quarter mile the old car banged off a 13.6 second run at 104.9 mph compared to the new car's run of 13.5 seconds at 105.9 mph. One tenth and one mph is not much of a gap, but remember, the big improvement for 2011 model is in the suspension, as evidenced in our figure eight numbers. In 2009 the R/T went around our figure-8 in 27.5 seconds at an average of 0.63 g. Two years later, it's able to do the deed much quicker and with more stick: 25.9 seconds/0.68 g.

But a throwback muscle machine like the R/T isn't about change. As we discovered with our longer term 2009 R/T, we love it as is. This updated version holds onto every single thing we dug about the old car but slightly tweaks it for the better. Look, we know the mid-range Challenger isn't perfect. It sucks gas, is hard to park, is about 700 pounds too heavy and boasts an interior that's not worth boasting about. Guess what? We still don't care. Thank you Santa, thank you.